Handsome is as Handsome does -- NOW A VIDEO ADDED

[shoveltrash]

Steph your descriptions are HILARIOUS!!!!!!
spanish gallop - heck Yeah! 
i would LOVE to see that

i think that jumping Amicus is a great idea!  but like you say, so long as he stays 'keen' about it.  hey, any chance of videotaping his lunge-airs-above-the-ground?

[tollertwins]

I wanna see 'spanish gallop', too!!! 

[luckyrider]

Well, I was already plotting how I might capture the funny little rears on film, complete with his sidelong "is this high enough for a treat, mummy?" looks...

so I will try to do what Trish did recently fixing the camcorder on some fence post about a mile away from the action and see what we get.  But in all conscience I cannot orchestrate another Spanish Gallop display with Mate for fear of the poor dog getting hurt!

However, if Mate should take it upon himself to escort us once again, and try to hustle and bustle poor Amicus while he is working, well that wouldn't be my fault, would it?       

[luckyrider]

Part-time Clickering

Just a brief note to recap on the last few sessions.  Have had a couple of rides, sans teacher, which means I can ride with the clicker.

Well HRH is just too much.  He KNOWS when we are doing clicker work, and he is instantly on his very very very best behaviour.

Suddenly there has been a quantum leap in the quality of his lateral work.  I just dunno where this has come from.  He has not progressed gradually, no... he has gone from reluctant and heavy to something incredibly light and responsive, and so very proud of himself too.  Nothing in between.  I get so thrilled with this boy, that I just don't know what to do with myself sometimes.

Today I hopped off again after a super deluxe platinum standard shoulder in at trot, which followed on from some very, very light travers and renvers.  Jackpot and walk home.  Smiling so big inside and out -- what a fantastic friend this horse has become.

We played touch the goblins on the way back, as there was a new horsebox parked in the car park, and clicked for some very good behaviour on the two troll bridges.

Please God may this last.

Collection next... with the clicker.  We have done it with Francis Rebel hustling and bustling us with a longe whip from behind -- but I want it on my terms next time, with the clicker.  Any tips, anyone?  I just feel we're ready.

[Bejay]

  I get so thrilled with this boy, that I just don't know what to do with myself sometimes.

I SO know that feeling! That's what makes me write my blog; just to let it out - what a lovely post, Luckyrider!
 

Please God may this last.

Don't worry, this is just the start!!!

As to working on collection, have you done any of the 'Hip, Shoulder, Shoulder' exercises in 'Riding with the Clicker'? They're about teaching collected starts and stops (and rein backs). I'd forgotten just what a difference HSS made to Jack and Bella until I began again with Grace.

I found that, once they'd learnt HSS, I could then, at halt, walk or trot, I could just look for the same feeling they gave me in the exercise to draw their back legs underneath them and their backs up under my seat, just on the weight of the reins.

I don't have to do HSS anymore to do this; just lighten my seat and look for the feeling that really engaged hind quarters gave me in the exercise, and they understand what I'm looking for. I LOVE doing rein back to trot because when I take a breath in, in rein back, I can feel their backs coming right up underneath me, ready and waiting for me to let the breath out with a 'tuh' sound, then off straight into a beautiful collected trot. It's an awsome feeling and it's HSS that taught us how to do that.

There's also an in hand exercise that Kyra Kyrklund and Jane Savoie use, to teach the horse how to position himself so that he can take more weight on his back legs, as a preparation ultimately for Piaffe. It involves much tapping of a back leg with a whip - unless you teach it with the clicker, in which case you can teach it with no whip and put it on just a verbal cue (or a visual one). I taught Bella last night. It took 5 minutes max! I am going to write about it later, on my blog.

[Appy2quarter]

Luckyrider, what a LOVELY post! I so know what you mean - suddenly they just want to offer the bestest of the best for you.  Hylo now takes me into the school and, on entering, puts himself into an 'up' position in shoulder-in all on his own bless him!

Tig is convinced she is training me really well - she got 'head down' SO fast I couldn't believe it. Previously I had no idea how to get past the yo-yo stage where her head would bob up and down and here it is!  The power of the head down is quite something - several of the horses on Alex's clinics actively choose to put their heads down if there are distracting or scarey things going on.  Its amazing how they realise it helps them calm down... 

The thing that the clicker induces in us is a real sense of fun - when the horse starts to offer things, even if its not what we want, its so honest and genuine that you just have to laugh!  For horses to offer behaviours because they know they are the real 'jackpots' is just great.  According to Hylo, doing HSS correctly justifies a deep whicker and an 'aren't I fab?' look!

As Bejay says, the HSS builds into collection, from the yield of the hips and backup you gradually develop a collected start where the hips and hindlegs are right underneath them and you are in more of a straight line.  YOu can also then work the same exercise from shoulder-in which increases the collection more and more.  Once the horse then 'gets' the hindleg engagement, collection will be there to be had as Bejay says!

[luckyrider]

Thank you both!  I have two AK books, but Riding with the Clicker was not available last time I looked... I have The Click that Teaches, and Clicker Training for your Horse.  I also have Getting to Yes by Sharon Foley.  So I need to go and research HSS, since it seems to be the key to our progression.  If it is not in any of my books then I will look on AK's website.

Today, a lot of top quality SI, travers and renvers again, and reinback to trot, reinback to two steps walk then canter... and practising canter departs on the wrong leg (to see if he is listening -- but I do not go round the corners on the wrong leg yet).

Amicus is losing topline right now.  This happened at the same time last year, and it is a bit of a mystery as to what is going on.  I have increased his feed a little -- he is on TopSpec Comprehensive Supplement mixed into a litre of la Cense's bog standard flakes/cubes combo, topped up generously with Fibergy, half a cup of Soya oil and a slug of cider vinegar, twice a day.   He gets a miserly two flakes of hay morning and night too.

Vet out two weeks from now anyway, for teeth and annual vaccinations.  I may ask him what he thinks but I am sure it will be hard for him to tell what is going on.  Will have him take bloods anyway, I think, and do a worm count.

I'm with you, A2Q and Bejay, on the fun aspects.  Most riding sessions (if I am not having a lesson and am therefore clickering) have me chuckling madly.  We got canter to halt today via just two strides of walk, just because I clicked the strikeoff.  Eureka!!!  I usually get canter to halt via at least half a circuit of very inelegant shuffle-down.  I remembered Bejay's picture where Bella stopped so suddenly she left her bottom lip behind -- that's what we're aiming for!

[shoveltrash]

Steph what WONDERFUL posts!!!  you've inspired me, i think i'm going to begin clicker work with Nico .  and please do capture some of this on film!!!

[epona]

Please God may this last.

Steph, I have uttered these same words myself!!    I had such a frustrated start to this year but gradually after an alignment of MY attitude training has become a JOY!    I keep thinking, when will this cycle end!  I Dont want it to end!  But then I catch myself and think 'stay in the moment' who knows what the future holds- but there is no pointin fretting over maybe's when we can thoroughly ENOY the NOW!!!